The NCAA has had a rough time this fall. They have received quite a bit of criticism for how they handled college football regarding the COVID-19 crisis.
But with this trademark request, it seems that they do have some plans moving forward.
The NCAA has several trademarks already. Those include “Road to the Final Four,” “March Madness,” “One Dream,” “History Happens Here,” and others.
The WNBA is trying to do something similar by getting “Wubble” trademarked.
Will a ‘Bubble’ Work in College?
The sports world has seen the bubble work, but that has been on the professional level. The NBA and NHL have gone on for weeks and haven’t had many coronavirus issues.
However, not everyone was invited to the bubble. In both the NBA and NHL, their seasons ended just before the playoffs. They only had to plan for a certain number of teams and players, not the whole league.
It’s easier to get paid athletes in the NFL or NBA to follow specific guidelines, or even plan something that could potentially put them at risk.
When asked about the bubble concept, NCAA president Mark Emmert told Andy Katz: “It’s obviously expensive to do that, but we’re not going to hold a championship in a way that puts student-athletes at risk.”
It seems that any bubble would put the players at some risk. Asking 18-year-old student-athletes to compete in a bubble for an extended period may come with criticisms.
It’s also hard to predict what it will be like for basketball in the spring. Can the US get a vaccine by then? Will there be fewer cases? It’s hard to know.
The Money-Maker
One thing is for sure for the NCAA, and that is, they don’t want to have to cancel the NCAA Tournament again in 2021. This is their cash cow that brings in tons of revenue.
In March, the NCAA Board of Governors voted to give $225 million to member schools, and that number was planning on being $600 million. This was a direct effect of not having the tournament.
Schools across the country have already had to make adjustments based on this lack of revenue. Many have had coaches take pay cuts, while others have removed specific sports programs altogether.
By applying for this trademark, the NCAA seems to be getting a head start planning the 2021 tournament. If they can get it to work, it will be an impressive feat.
But the question about the regular season remains. Are teams going to be able to start playing in October? If they are traveling then, what’s the big deal of them having to travel in March?
This trademark could mean a lot of things for the NCAA. But maybe for basketball, they can be a little more prepared and ready to battle the restrictions created by COVID-19.
It’s only a matter of time before they roll out the “Battle in the Bubble” t-shirts.
